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University of Washington, Seattle

Foreword:

Founded in 1861, University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the North West Coast of the United States of America. UW, commonly referred, is a public research university in the city of Seattle and is also labelled as a part of the Public Ivies (comparable to Ivy League institues). It is somehow not one of the favourite institutions on an Asian, especially Indian, applicants list mainly because of its low acceptance rate. Well known for its core courses especially Electrical, Computer and Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering, University of Washington is one of the high ranking institutions and thus requires a commendable profile to get admitted.

Location:

Seattle, majorly located around the coast, is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Over the last couple of decades, the city has shown tremendous improvement in the technology and internet sector. There are ample places to eat and drink in the university vicinity area and also throughout the city. Downtown Seattle, Pike Place Market, and the Space Needle attract many people; local events like the Bumbershoot Festival and neighborhood parades and fairs make weekends all the more unique. All in all, the location gets a thumbs up despite not as famous as California and New York.

Infrastructure and Residing Options:

Being an Ivy League and one of the oldest schools in the States, the infrastructure at University of Washington is certainly top notch. The sprawling lush green campus hosts over 500 buildings in a breathtaking 20 million square ft. space. The classic brick buildings give an Ivy League feeling. Libraries are excellently maintained with truckloads of books for all the courses. Apart from the separate departmental library, there is a common colossal library; most of them functioning 24 hours. The campus is equally excellent for non academic stuff. Various restaurants, cafes, pizza parlours and coffee joints followed by recreational facilities like theatre, drama, music room, sports amenities are jam-packed with over 10,000 undergrad and grad students. All in all, an ideal college life.

Seattle’s living expenses are certainly on the higher side, courtesy the real estate prices. University Village, Greek area, and Avenue are the standard places where you find ample graduate students residing. Some rent a two or three bedroom apartment while some stylish students prefer to reside in studio apartments. The staying expenses can go up to as high as $1200 (obviously, the facilities are spell bounding) per month per person but most students manage within $600.

Weather:

Seattle's climate is usually described as oceanic or temperate marine, with mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. It rains for most part of the year keeping the surroundings wet and green. Moreover, weather is extremely cloudy. As expected, students from the Asian countries, primarily India, find the climate VERY cold at Seattle. We really wonder what’s their take on New York, Michigan and Boston?

Tuition Fees:

The tuition fee is approximately $27,000 per annum.

Financial Aid/Scholarships:

Owing to its public state stature, the chances for financial aid are pretty good provided you’ve a profile that can impress the decision making committee. Scholarships are often granted semester wise to Master students. Research and Teaching Assistantship are academic based i.e if you perform excellently, the chances will multiply.

Eventual Placements:

Courtesy to its strategic location, the job prospects at University of Washington at Seattle are pretty awesome. The 150 year old university has consistently produced one of the finest quality students and has developed a solid reputation in various industries and companies. Thus, a lot of students are recruited in the notable MNC’s like Accenture, Boeing, City of Seattle, Intel, Google – to name a few. Oh, and they are paid mouthwatering salary starting from $75,000 per annum. Lastly, Seattle is the headquarter of our very own richman, Bill Gate's Microsoft.

Crowd and Campus Life:

The crowd at University of Washington, Seattle is very happening. It hails from every possible state of America (majority) while the international students comprises from India, China, Africa and Mexico. Boys to girls’ ratio is certainly healthy. While you will meet a lot of Californian and Washington dudes here, girls are definitely very much attractive. Casual tops, shorts and miniskirts boost the urban culture of the university. There are various restaurants and cafes within the campus.

Nightlife at U of Washington is definitely upto the mark. Avenue, College Inn, and plethora of Mexican, Chinese, Italian and Asian restaurants are at your service. Pubs and lounge in the downtown area are packed especially on Friday and Saturday nights serving beer and alcohol till you drop. In a nutshell, it’s worth spending every penny for the student life.

Famous Alumni:

Chris DeWolfe - Co-founder of MySpace

Arthur D.Levinson - Chairman of Apple Inc.

Irv Robbins - Co-founder of Baskin & Robbins

Verdict:

University of Washington, Seattle, is a high ranking reputed university offering some classy courses with excellent crowd, campus and terrific professors. Maintain a good academic record to get loaded with a handsome salary from the best company. It is very selective in its admission and thus the acceptance rate is very low.

U of W is not an Ivy League Institution. The Huskies, however good cannot be included in the Ivy League simply because of it's location: it is not located in the N.E. United States. It's not even on the 'False Elite that's almost Ivy' List that comprises prestigious 'Non-Ivy' Colleges like Stanford.